Xiaolin Showdown: Captive Dragon
by ChibiLover123
Summary: A reworking of an old Xiaolin Showdown story, 'Xiaolin Dragon of Lightning', only this does not follow the series closely. Summary inside. Chase Young/OC Enjoy! Chapters 7 and 8 Up!
1. Chapter 1

Ace thought she was a normal orphan, taking a much-needed break from her life. She just didn't expect to get kidnapped for an old family trinket...

-

Ace was never an easy girl to get along with; she was scathing, sarcastic, rough, and unlikely to censor her thoughts. It was part of the reason she was dumped into an orphanage at ten years old.

But then her grandfather's old heirloom starts to glow.

Ace is pulled into a war between good and evil while fighting her own destiny, a prophecy that promises immeasurable power...to whoever consummates a marriage with her. Locked away in Chase Young's palace against her will, Ace isn't sure who she wants to hurt more-the immortal holding her prisoner, or the annoying boy genius that refuses to leave...

Pairing: Chase Young/OC

* * *

><p>Of all the elements, lightning is the most unpredictable.<p>

It can shatter stone, make oceans boil, slice through the air, start fires with the barest of sparks…

But it can also dance through the clouds as delicately as a butterfly, melt sand into beautiful glass, bide it's time before flashing across the sky quicker than a heartbeat.

Lightning represents the raw potential of nature, the untamable force.

When the Xiaolin Dragons were established by Grand Master Dashi, he warned that, should the Xiaolin Dragon of Lightning ever appear, they would foreshadow a great battle for the existence of Earth.

Whoever could manage to win their heart would be gifted with the immeasurable power of lightning.

For centuries, both the Xiaolin and Heylin waited for the appearance of this destined Dragon of Lightning.

The only clue to the Dragon are the Swords of Lei Sheng, which would become active only when the Dragon was of the proper age to marry.

And so both good and evil bided their time, watching and waiting for the first hint of the Lightning Swords…

* * *

><p>Dawn's sleepy light crawled over the stirring city, painting everything in gold while the darkness seeped out of the sky.<p>

Watching the transformation from a high window ledge, a teenaged girl hung one of her legs out over the dizzying drop as she filled in a sketch with a set of worn-down colored pencils.

Once the sky was done to her satisfaction, she checked the alarm clock on a nearby desk for the time.

_6:14 am _blinked back at her, and she sighed tiredly.

'Another long night…'

Pulling out the handkerchief she had used to tie her hair up into a messy bun, she let the red curls fall free while pulling herself back into the small room.

Half-lidded lavender eyes surveyed the only home she had ever known, and she stood up slowly, running her fingers over an old set of chopsticks on her way to the bag packed near the door.

She didn't see the glow the chopsticks gave off for a moment at her touch, pulsing with new energy.

'Some birthday…'

* * *

><p>In the Land of Nowhere, Chase Young sensed the activation of an unexpected artifact.<p>

'The Swords of Lei Sheng…'

Turning away from his meditation, the everlord smirked.

'So it has finally begun.'


	2. Chapter 2

"Do you really have to go, Ace?"

"We're gonna miss you!"

"I'm gonna miss you guys, too." Ace assured, crouching down so the younger kids could surround her in a group hug.

"But I'm too old to stay here now. Once I get settled in, I'll come back."

"You promise?" One of the younger children wondered, dark brown eyes bright with tears.

"I promise."

"Acacia."

Looking up at the older woman standing by the door, holding the backpack that contained everything she owned in the world, Ace sighed.

"It's time for me to go."

Despite their protests, she stood up, ruffling their hair in goodbye before taking her backpack and swinging it over her shoulder.

There was a car waiting outside, a beat-up old truck with chipped green paint, and she hopped into the passenger seat, watching the woman talk with the children before joining her.

"Are you ready?"

Looking out of the smudged window at the place she had called home for the last eight years, Ace shrugged.

"I guess…"

* * *

><p>Whenever an orphan ages out of the system, they are often left on their own, with no money or hopes of immediately furthering their education.<p>

There is not enough money in the system to afford such things.

Knowing this, Ace had been planning on moving in with her older brother, Jerry, a twenty-six year old construction worker.

But when she heard that his wife, Lula, was pregnant with their first baby…

"I'm leaving."

"Damn it, Ace." Jerry cursed, running a hand through his own unruly red hair.

"This is why I didn't tell you when we found out!"

"You have a kid on the way. The _last_ thing you need is me hanging around." Ace argued.

"We can work this out. Me and Lula still want you to stay."

"You'd shoot yourself if you thought it would help." Ace pointed out cynically.

"Damn right I would!" Jerry shot back.

"And I'd make a deal with the Devil while I was at it!"

Silence fell as the siblings stared at each, caught in a battle of wills that Jerry knew he would lose.

Ace was never a quitter.

"…Wait here."

Quirking an eyebrow in curiosity, she watched Jerry walk into the bedroom he shared with Lula and come back with a torn-up package in his hands.

"Grandpa gave this to me before he…died." Jerry admitted, holding the parcel out to her.

"He told me to give it to you on your eighteenth birthday."

Holding the package in her lap, Ace stared at the familiar handwriting on the front.

'For my little Kitten'.

A little hiccup of a sob caught in her throat at the old nickname, but she forced it down.

"…Thanks, Jerry."

"What are big brothers for?" He joked, pulling her up for a hug.

"Besides being good targets for water balloons?"

Laughing at the memory of countless summers spent trying not to get nailed in the face by a water balloon, Jerry walked with his sister to the back door.

"Just be careful, smartass. I don't want you wandering around after dark."

"I'll try." She promised sarcastically, though the promise itself was sincere.

"And you'll take that old mutt with you?"

"Cerberus is a purebred." Ace reminded him, mock-affronted.

"Whatever. Just take care of yourself."

"No one else is going to do it."

Picking up her bag from beside the door, she swung it onto her shoulder and managed a smile.

"I'll try Christie's."

"Don't do anything she tells you." Jerry jested, ruffling her bangs.

"_I'm_ not the one who listened to her idea about Beer Pong." Ace retorted playfully, stepping outside.

"See you later, Jerry."

"Later."

* * *

><p>Watching Dojo fly overhead with the Xiaolin monks, it became clear that Chase Young had not been the only one to pinpoint the location of the Swords.<p>

But he would be the first to claim the prize.


	3. Chapter 3

Stopping in front of Apartment 305, Ace raised a brow at the loud noises coming through the door.

'She's on one of her binges again…'

With a mock-exasperated sigh, the redhead twisted the doorknob sharply, simultaneously disengaging the lock and opening the door.

"Christie, put down the bucket of fried chicken and say hello."

"ACE!" The other girl squealed in greeting, jumping away from her 'Batman: The Animated Series' marathon and latching onto her shorter friend.

"Happy birthday, girlie!"

"Thanks, crazy."

Giggling, she pulled Ace to the couch, shoving a bag of marshmallow ice cream cones into her hands.

"Ready for an overdose of awesome?"

Plopping down on the couch and retrieving her fried chicken, Christie flipped back her rainbow-colored mop of hair and dug in.

Settling into the couch, Ace popped a marshmallow into her mouth.

"Lula's pregnant."

"Really? Damn, Jerry's potent!"

Ace nearly choked.

"_Christie_!"

The girl fell into a fit of maniacal laughter, barely stopping herself from falling off the couch.

"Guess this means you have nowhere to stay, then."

Christie's smile was larger than the Cheshire Cat's.

"So I insist you stay here with me!"

"Gee, and I had a list of reasons why I should stay." Ace replied sarcastically, a relieved smile crossing her face.

"I've always got your back, girlie. I don't need reasons!"

"Or logic."

"I'm not a complicated girl." Christie admitted easily.

"And what's that you've got there? A birthday present from Jerry?"

Reminded of the package, Ace pulled it out of the side pouch of her backpack.

"…It's from my grandpa."

"Oh…What's in it?"

"I don't know." Ace admitted, carefully removing the paper to reveal a worn old journal.

Christie was pressed up against her by now, green eyes bright with curiosity and wonder.

"What's it say-What's it say?"

Pushing the girl's face, Ace flipped it open to the first page, reading aloud.

"I hoped to live long enough to protect you from the destiny set before you, but I know that won't happen. All I can do is write this and hope that it gets to you in time."

Pausing in concern, Ace shared a curious glance with Christie.

"But I should start at the beginning. It all began fifteen hundred years ago, with a battle between Grand Master Dashi and the Heylin Witch Wuya…"

* * *

><p>"…I knew you were the Dragon of Lightning the day you were born. I could feel it in my bones. Your mother was so proud. But the moment your eighteenth birthday began, you became a target."<p>

Christie, who was practically crawling over Ace's shoulders, seemed as enthralled as a child being told a bedtime story.

"The forces of good and evil will come for you, and I can only hope that you can protect yourself. I know you will make the right choice, kitten."

The rest of the pages contained drawings of what her father had called Shen Gong Wu and small notes on what they did, so Ace closed the journal.

"…_Wow_."

"That's all you have to say? _Wow_?" Ace needled, hiding her unease.

"At least I said something! I'm not the one that's about to get hunted down by suitors!" Christie replied lightly.

"They're horrible hunters." Ace retorted with a smirk.

"It's been twelve hours since my birthday started, and I haven't seen-."

The entire building shook.

"…Then again…"

"Abandon ship!" Christie shouted, running into her room and coming out with a duffel bag.

"How'd you pack so fast?" Ace wondered, standing as the other girl stuffed her Batman DVDs into the duffel.

"I've been ready ever since I watched 'Independence Day'."

Rolling her eyes (mainly because it wasn't that much of a surprise), Ace grabbed the girl's arm and dragged her to the window as another violent shake hit the building.

"Whatever. _Let's go_."

Opening it with one hand, Ace swung herself onto the fire escape as Christie scrambled after her.

The entire structure shook when Christie landed on her face, and Ace sighed.

"Arrow Sparrow!"

"Big Bang Meteorang!"

Looking down, she raised a brow at the scene of two kids fighting an army of floating robots.

"…You have _got_ to be kidding me."

"_Dude_, can we get some of those?"

"…"

SMACK!

"OW!"

Pouting at being smacked upside the head, Christie peeked down again.

"_So_…Which of them are the good guys?"

"How the Hell should I know?" Ace retorted, frowning.

"None of them are waving a sign around saying 'We're the Good Guys'."

"HEY!"

Everyone present in the alley jumped in surprise and stared at Christie, even Ace.

"Which of you guys are Xiaolin?"

The pair of blue-clad warriors, one a girl and one a large boy, raised their hands uncertainly.

"There they are!" Christie pointed out happily.

Ace's eye twitched…

SMACK!

"_OWWWW_…"

"_Idiot_." The redhead growled, pulling Christie over her shoulder in a fireman's carry.

As the robots flew up to cut off their escape, Ace, intent on reaching the rooftop first, scaled the ladders faster than she had expected.

Chucking her friend over first, Ace used the ledge as a fulcrum to flip herself up, nearly stepping on an immobile, moaning Christie.

Rolling her eyes, she yanked Christie up by the arm before noticing they were not the only people on the rooftop.

"Hi!" Christie greeted happily.

"Are you guys here for the birthday, too?"

"…Christie?"

"Yeah?"

SMACK!

"_Shut up_."

Though her lip trembled childishly, Christie kept her mouth shut as Ace surveyed this new situation.

There were six people, facing each other as if ready to fight but, distracted, were _now_ staring at Ace and Christie.

Two had the same robes as the Xiaolin pair below, marking them as the 'Good Guys', while the others consisted of a sumo-sized ninja, a blond girl in a cat costume, a barefoot red-haired woman in a strange dress, and-

"Wait a second."

Ace focused back on the albino, surprised and confused.

"_Jack_?"

The evil boy genius suddenly looked ready to pee his pants.

"_ACE_?"

Eyes narrowed in annoyance, she stalked up and grabbed the cringing boy by the front of his jacket.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing, Jack?"

"U-Um, well, y-you see-!"

"I spend three years keeping you from getting beaten up, _and you go off and get involved in this mess_?"

"…Wh-When you put it like _that_…"

She shook Jack like he was a disobedient puppy.

"_Why are all of my friends idiots_?"

"_Friends_?" One of the Xiaolin voiced, sounding surprised.

"You're friends with _Jack Spicer_?"

"Not my proudest moment." Ace admitted, dropping the albino goth onto his ass.

"If you all are done fighting over me, we'll be going."

"I do not think so!" The ninja retorted, blocking her path back towards Christie.

"Get out of my way." Ace warned.

"Tubbimura, don't mess with her! Ace is _vicious_!" Jack warned, arms flailing.

"Like, _Chase Young_ vicious!"

"She does not look so dangerous." Tubbimura argued, unsheathing his katana.

"Bow down before my might!"

Eyes narrowed in a glare, Ace sighed, pulling the ornaments out of her hair.

As the curls tumbled freely down her back, she held each chopstick like a sword, remembering the words in her grandfather's journal.

'Whenever you need to fight, the Swords of Lei Sheng will protect you, if only you say their name.'

"Swords of Lei Sheng!"

With a crackle of electricity, the small pseudo-swords elongated and grew into proper blades.

One was straight and light, blindingly silver, while the other was jagged and thick like a thunderbolt and a bright gold.

Tubbimura jumped back, startled by the sudden transformation, and he moved farther away at the sight of her comfort with such sharp-looking blades.

Looking towards the other Heylin (except Jack; he was practically clinging to Christie like she was a lifesaver), Ace felt the blades pulse with electricity.

"Anyone want to try first?"

They all hesitated, but Tubbimura tried to regain his confidence.

"I will fight you!"

His katana swung down for her head, and she caught it on one of the jagged inlets of her thunder sword, twisting.

The katana was sent flying as Ace slammed the flat of her other blade against Tubbimura's stomach.

It barely seemed to effect him-

The ninja's eyes widened as she sent a volt of energy straight into his body, sending the large man flying across the rooftop, smoking.

-Until Ace tested out her Dragon powers.

"Anyone else?"

The rest of the Heylin (and the Xiaolin, for that matter) shook their heads in the negative, eyes wide.

As the adrenaline burned her blood, Ace let out a heavy breath.

"Good."

"So you are the Xiaolin Dragon of Lightning…"

Her entire body prickled instinctively just before an arm clamped down on her waist like an iron band, holding Ace against a hard chest and pinning her arms.

"Interesting…"

A gloved hand played with her hair, and she bristled indignantly.

"Let me _go_."

The Swords pulsed angrily, electricity dancing between the blades, but with her arms trapped, she was unable to defend herself.

"I don't think you are in any position to be giving orders, little Dragon."

"Chase Young! Release her!" The small Xiaolin demanded.

"Yeah, she's coming with us!" The other agreed.

"I'm not going with _any_ of you!" Ace snarled, struggling against the arm pinning her.

"I'm not some-some prize to be won!"

"But you are."

The words were warm against her ear, making her stomach knot itself strangely.

"And now you're _mine_."

Her entire body felt the magical tug through time and space, but couldn't take the strain.

Ace passed out to the sound of Christie screaming her name.


	4. Chapter 4

A fire crackled lowly across the room, its inconsistent light breeding shadows in the corners and across the ceiling.

Lounging on the four-poster bed, Chase studied the girl sleeping peacefully next to him.

Curled up on her side, she seemed content to sleep forever, hair tumbling off the bed and nightgown riding up her thighs.

The wood popped rather loudly, and her entire body tensed, as if she was ready for a fight.

Interested, he ran a hand up her thigh, surprised at the softness of her flesh.

She twitched as Chase's hand moved further up, and digging his nails into her skin made the girl moan.

His lust was ignited by the sound, but, unfortunately, the sensation caused Ace to wake up.

Mind foggy after a few hours rest (which was more than she'd had in two weeks, considering her insomnia), Ace stretched the fuzziness out of her muscles, blinking focus back into her eyes.

"Jeanie Mac-!"

Startled by being in a bed with a half-naked man after _clearly_ remembering being abducted, Ace pushed herself away, falling over the edge with a 'THUD'.

"…I hate you _so much_ right now…"

"Strange, considering you threw yourself off the bed."

Pushing herself up into a sitting position, Ace rubbed her head where it had hit the floor and resisted the urge to start cursing in Irish.

Those were the only words she had retained of her 'native tongue' after a summer spent in Ireland with her paternal grandparents as a child, after all.

Looking down at the girl, Chase's lust woke up and _purred_.

Her eyes were trained on him, like a wary cat, and the way her knees were pressed together, as if she was trying to keep him out…

It was so sinfully _virginal_ that he wanted to ravish her.

But Chase restrained himself, knowing better.

Not only was he not fond of rape, but he was certainly _less_ fond of getting shocked through a rather sensitive part of his anatomy.

The sweet scent of her fading arousal, however, made keeping his lust in check a bit difficult.

"Breakfast will be ready soon. You should get dressed."

Ace did _not_ want to ask why she was in a nightgown in the first place, or why _he_ was only wearing pants.

Slowly standing, Ace scanned the room, her instincts urging the discovery of an escape.

The redhead nearly had a heart attack when hands gripped her hips from behind, pulling her into Chase's bare torso.

"I hope you're not thinking of escaping, little Dragon."

"Can you blame me?" She retorted, finding her voice.

Her breathing hitched when one hand removed itself and moved up to her shoulder, toying with her hair.

"I suppose not…"

Ace resisted the urge to sigh in relief when she was released as Chase moved past her to the closet.

Trying to slow her heartbeat, and ignore the burning in her gut, she blinked in confusion at the dress he threw on the bed.

"Get dressed."

"Where are my clothes?"

With a snap of his fingers, Chase was wearing his customary armor.

"Being cleaned."

Noticing that she had yet to move, arms crossed defensively over her chest, he decided Ace needed a little…push.

"I could dress you myself, if you prefer."

Not trusting her traitorous body (which was already heating up uncomfortably), Ace took a cautious step back.

"I can dress myself." She replied icily.

"But I prefer doing it in _private_."

Chase considered doing it himself anyway (the urge to uncover all of that soft, unmarked skin was strong), but decided against it.

This was about gaining trust (or at least desensitizing Ace to his presence), not sating his lust.

"…I have some things to attend to before breakfast. Once you're done, one of my warriors will show you to the dining hall."

Ace released a heavy breath once he was gone, having just realized she'd been holding one in out of nerves.

Scolding herself for being so edgy, she walked up to the bed and tested the dress' fabric.

It was silky and smooth, slipping between her fingers like water, and she sighed in resignation before pulling the nightgown off over her head.

Thankfully, she was still wearing her own bra and underwear underneath.

Once dressed, Ace hesitated in looking at herself in a full-length mirror hung up in the adjacent bathroom.

The dress, purple a gold-designed, ended around her mid-thigh, with uncomfortable slits up both sides and a small window just above her chest.

Resisting the urge to pull down on the hem, Ace braided her hair over one shoulder and went in search of shoes.

Her combat boots were nowhere to be found, much to her frustration, but she did stumble across a pair of black ballet flats.

Growing annoyed with this subtle prodding, since she particularly disliked dresses and never wore anything on her feet besides combat boots, Ace angrily tugged the slippers on.

The door opened slightly, letting in a black panther that sat patiently next to the bed.

Blinking at the feline in mild surprise, Ace sighed.

"I get it. Lead the way."

Seeming quite happy with the understanding, the panther stood and walked to the door, Ace right on the feline's heels.

The hallways were large and winding, lined with heavy doors and intersecting each other at unexpected intervals.

Ace had to admit that the lair was beautifully decorated, though only to herself.

The panther stopped just outside of an open archway, looking back at her expectantly.

"You must have better things to do than lead me around." Ace noted, crouching down to scratch just under the feline's jaw.

Purring and practically becoming a puddle of goo on the tiles, the panther seemed to consider following her after all before remembering his duties.

As her guide walked away, Ace pulled the dress' hem down as far as it would go before stepping inside.

The room was cylindrical in shape, with a higher level ringing the walls with columns and a long table in the lower center of the room.

Sitting at the far end, waiting patiently, Chase was surprisingly pleased with what he saw.

The inward curve of her waist and long legs were highlighted tantalizingly by the purple silk, with the window over her chest giving a teasing view of the soft skin still hidden.

Judging by the glare, however, Chase suspected she didn't appreciate the new wardrobe.

"I'm not a doll for you to dress up however you like." Ace growled, clearly at the end of her patience.

"And if I don't get my things back, I _won't_ be happy."

Chase would have been more amused by her bravado if it wasn't for the fact that she was untrained and had the raw power to possibly injure him.

"You're really in no position to threaten anyone." He reminded, standing.

Ace visibly stiffened as the everlord approached, arms crossed defensively.

"Do you think I came up the Lagan in a bubble?" She retorted sharply, falling back on the idioms of her heritage.

"Then why abduct me in the first place?"

It was clear that the Irish temper Ace had inherited from her delinquent father was starting to flare.

Amused, Chase circled the girl like prey, leaning into her ear from behind and placing a hand on her hip.

"I think we both know why I brought you here…"

The low, seductive words made a shudder race down Ace's spine like heated lightning, and she was ready to retort rather heatedly when-

BAM!

"CHASE!"

Recognizing the voice, Ace face-palmed and sighed.

"Eejit…"

Chase was just as upset, though for different reasons, as Jack Spicer ran in as if he had seen a soul-eating ghost.

"Chase! Thank God you're alright! I thought she'd killed you in your sleep-!"

The 'boy genius' paused when met with Ace's glare, and he smiled guiltily.

"Uh…Hi, Ace."

"What the bloody hell are you doing here, Jack?"

The albino flinched; he knew that once Ace started using Irish sayings, she was _ticked_.

"Well…you see…I was just…"

Jack paused, just realizing something.

"Are you wearing a dress?"

The twitch of her eye was _not_ a good sign.

Luckily for Jack, Chase had a rather good grip on the irate young woman, keeping her from going for the boy's throat like she wanted.

"Is that all you noticed, wick? Besides the fact that I'm being _held against my will_?"

Jack laughed nervously.

"Um…kinda…"

Chase got the feeling that things would be _much_ more entertaining when Spicer came over from now on…

* * *

><p><strong>Irish Sayings:<strong>

**'Jeanie Mac': the equivalent of 'Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and all the Holy Martyrs!' or 'Holy crap!'**

**'Do you think I came up the Lagan in a bubble?': Do you think I was born yesterday?**

**'Eejit': Idiot**

**'Bloody': Less harsh form of 'F***'**

****Ace's Dress: ..


	5. Chapter 5

"Come on, Ace! It's not so bad! Open the door!"

Glaring at the door, Ace fisted the sheets under her and growled.

"Flip off, Jack!"

"Don't be like that! Let's just talk about this!"

"I got kidnapped for _sex_! _What's there to bloody talk about_?"

"Acacia."

She bristled instinctively.

"Hiding behind a locked door isn't going to solve anything."

"The door'll definitely stop you from touching me!" Ace snarled back.

Some mutterings came through the door for a couple minutes, and she was just evening out her breathing when the doorknob began to turn.

"Alright, Ace. I'm coming in-."

The moment the door opened outward, Jack standing right in front of the new opening, a dresser flew through and smashed the boy into the wall across the hall.

Chase had to admit, the timing and strength was impressive.

Closing the door with one hand, the everlord watched as the dresser fell, freeing a clearly-stunned Jack.

"…S-She's a little upset…"

* * *

><p>Jack, used to incurring the fearsome wrath of Ace, knew that the next step was to wait out her temper.<p>

Unless someone wanted to be hurt very badly (or get crushed under whatever she could find to throw), it was best to let her calm down by herself.

Chase took this opportunity to…_persuade_ Jack to tell him about Ace.

* * *

><p>Jack, it seemed, had a healthy fear of Ace's temper.<p>

Apparently, years ago, she had made it _perfectly clear_ that her life was none of his flippin' business.

This was done with a window, a blanket, and some impressive upper-body strength that had left the normally-talkative albino mute on the subject since.

But this is _Chase Young _we're talking about; he wasn't about to let this unexpected fountain of information get away so easily.

Luckily, Ace, if properly motivated, could keep her temper high for _hours_.

It took some time, and giving free reign to his cats, before Jack's fear of Chase outgrew his fear of Ace (at least temporarily).

"Alright, alright! I'll talk! Just don't let them eat me!"

With a snap of his fingers, the felines were called off.

"How did you come to meet Acacia?"

"She beat me up." Jack admitted sheepishly.

"I was-what, five?-and everyone picked on me then. She just did it because I tugged on her ponytail."

Really, that didn't surprise Chase very much; Ace seemed rather volatile.

"So I paid her twenty bucks a week for…protection."

"Protection? From what?"

Jack seemed rather embarrassed now, avoiding eye contact.

"Her. And then I paid her twenty _more_ bucks for protection from everybody else. That actually went pretty well. They were already terrified of her."

Considering Jack's reaction to her glare (and knowing how hard it was to make Jack shut up), the everlord would have been surprise if they _hadn't_.

"But her mom got really sick…"

* * *

><p>Listening to the rumble of thunder as it came closer, Ace closed her eyes and felt her anger ebb slowly.<p>

'What the frig am I doing?' She thought to herself.

'Sitting here isn't going to get me out of this!'

Determined, Ace stood and paced the room, thinking of a way to escape.

'I'll have to be careful of all those cats…'

"_Pssst_!"

Stopping immediately, Ace turned to the door, where four eager faces stared at her.

"Ready to go?"

Blinking in mild surprise at the little dragon that had spoken, Ace grinned.

"Does an Irishman love beer?"


	6. Chapter 6

'Is the concept of _stealth_ not taught at the Xiaolin Temple?'

"AHHHHHHH!"

Considering the terrified screaming, it probably wasn't…

Using a wall to push off of, Ace managed to avoid a lion's claws as she took the next corner.

Clay and Omi seemed to slow down ahead of her, most likely thinking they could hold off the cats long enough for an escape, but Ace's glare destroyed that plan.

"Don't even _think_ about it."

As the newly-terrified monks picked up the pace, not wanting to know what Ace would do if they fell too far behind, she glanced over her shoulder.

The cats were definitely closing the distance, though she could easily outrun them; even before her elemental powers started coming in, she had always been fast.

Turning back around, she ran faster to stay on the monks' heels, pushing _them_ to go faster.

One last glance over her shoulder, just to be sure-

Ace crashed into something hard, and before she could pull away, her wrists were caught and pinned to an armored chest.

"Where do you think _you're_ going, little Dragon?"

Her heart did a rather impressive impersonation of an Irish jig, and she tried to tug her hands free.

"Let _go_."

Faster than her untrained eyes could follow, she was spun around and held against Chase, wrists practically shackled by one gloved hand.

"_No_."

Electricity flashed in the dark pupils of her eyes.

"AH!"

The scream startled Ace out of her thoughts, and Chase moved to allow her a clear view of the outnumbered Xiaolin monks.

The cats looked ready to pounce, and with the four monks already looking a little roughed up, she knew they wouldn't stand a chance.

"Don't hurt them."

"They broke into my home and attempted to steal what is mine."

His grip tightened, making the bones in her wrists grind painfully together.

"Why should I let them live?"

Ace could think of quite a few reasons, but she doubted any would have an effect on him.

"However…"

A shiver ran down her back, but not because of the warm breath on her ear; it was because Chase sounded like he had a plan.

"If you were to give me your word not to try and escape again…"

Ace went still, surprised and angry.

"What makes you think I wouldn't break my word?"

She felt his smirk against her neck, like he _knew_.

"You wouldn't."

And he was right; the one thing Ace valued most was keeping her promises, and even thinking of breaking one made her feel horrible, like…

Like her father.

'Damn…'

Knowing that she wouldn't forgive herself if she didn't, Ace resigned herself to her fate.

"I…give you my word that I won't try to escape again."

Pleased, Chase gestured for his warriors to herd the monks outside relatively unharmed.

"Dude, you can't make us go back and tell that Christie chick we couldn't do it! She'll annoy us to death!" Raimundo complained.

Ace couldn't help but smile at that.

"Story of my life..."

There was something in the redhead's eyes that caught Kimiko's attention then.

"Don't give up on her."

* * *

><p>"He told you, didn't he?"<p>

Ace's eyes seemed dark and electric from across the room, knees drawn up to her chest and feet bare on the silk sheets.

Pretending to be uninterested, Chase did not raise his eyes from the scroll he was reading at a desk he kept in the corner of his bedroom.

"Who?"

"Jack." She growled, a sliver of her rage bared in her tone after nearly two hours of silence.

The albino had fled once he realized she was not flying into a violent tantrum, only pausing to say that things were about to get _really_ bad.

Apparently, he was right…

"He told you I never break my word. That's why you made me promise."

Thunder boomed outside, muffled slightly by the walls, but the storm's fierceness did not go unnoticed.

"I could not take the chance that you would try to escape."

"Great job with that." Ace muttered sarcastically, turning her glare back to the mattress.

Holding in a sigh, Chase put down the scroll.

"This does not have to be an unpleasant experience."

Ace scoffed, raising an unimpressed eyebrow.

"I highly doubt that."

Faster than even Ace's lightning-fast brain could catch, she was pinned to the bed, wrists trapped over her head.

Heart hammering at the sudden rush of adrenaline her surprise had caused, her eyes narrowed on Chase's face.

"…What do you want from me?"

"We both know what I want from you." Chase answered easily, straddling her hips.

"Then why haven't you tried to take it?"

"…"

Leaning back, Chase sighed, shaking his head.

"Is that what this is about?"

Confused and wary, Ace frowned.

"What else would it be about? _World peace_?"

"I do not take unwilling lovers, Acacia." The everlord assured her.

"No matter how much I would enjoy teaching you."

Ace ignored the heat creeping up her face, turning her head away and subconsciously relaxing.

"So I'm just here for you to seduce?"

Really, that had been the plan; but now that he had learned so much about her…

Chase wanted to know more.

"No."

Dark lavender eyes snapped up to gold, surprised, as the dragon lord leaned into her ear, curling his fingers into her now-loose hair.

"You're here to be _mine_."


	7. Chapter 7

The most difficult thing for Ace to get accustomed to was sharing a bed.

She was just so used to being alone during the night that this change was uncomfortable for her insomniac tendencies.

Chase noticed almost instantly; the way Ace would constantly shift around for hours, and then, with a frustrated sound, climb out of bed to sketch or read a book until morning.

It was understandable, really.

As the Dragon of Lightning, she was a fountain of unlimited energy, making it difficult for her to slow down and sleep.

But Chase only had so much patience.

* * *

><p>Staring at the wall in an attempt to bore herself to sleep, Ace sighed in frustration, knowing it wouldn't work but trying anyway.<p>

After a week of insomnia, she was already feeling rundown…

Giving in to the prospect of another long night, Ace started to climb out of bed-

An arm clamped around her waist, pulling the startled girl back against Chase.

Putting both hands on his forearm in a futile attempt to free herself, Ace frowned.

"Chase, let me go."

"We've been through this before."

Ace repressed the instinct to flail as she was tugged onto his chest and face-to-face with taunting gold eyes.

"_No_."

Her frown had slipped for a moment, but was quick to return.

"_Chase_."

Raising an unimpressed eyebrow, Chase started petting her hair.

"You really shouldn't frown, Acacia. It doesn't fit on such a pretty face."

Slowly relaxing under his ministrations, she ignored the heat creeping up her neck at his comment and barely managed a glare.

"Are you going to keep me here all night?"

"It crossed my mind." Chase admitted, pressing his hand against the back of her shoulders.

"But I _am_ trying to help. Just relax."

Giving in, Ace turned her head enough to press her ear against his chest, still looking up at Chase skeptically.

"And how's this going to help me sleep?"

"Listen."

Figuring she wasn't going to get out of this anytime soon, Ace closed her eyes and listened.

The steady beat of his heart (and wasn't it a surprise, finding that Chase Young still had one?) drummed softly against the shell of her ear, and she relaxed fully, lulled by the rhythm.

Without realizing it, her breathing evened out to match the constant rise and fall of his chest…

* * *

><p>Eyes fluttering open at the sudden intrusion of light on her lids, Ace turned away from it with a groan, curling further into the warmth surrounding her.<p>

Looking down at the girl burrowing into his chest, Chase found her futile attempts at evading consciousness hopelessly endearing.

Who would have thought Ace would be such an affectionate sleeper?

Chase was willing to let her sleep-

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

But Jack seemed to have other ideas…

* * *

><p>Ace glared at the sniffling albino who was nursing his injured head on the floor.<p>

"Now, what have we learned about waking me up?"

"N-Not to…" Jack answered softly, lower lip quivering.

"And _what_ am I going to do the next time you come in here screaming like an idiot?" She growled, threatening the boy with a clenched fist.

"Y-You're gonna gut me a-and use my intestines to hang me fr-from the top of the mountain…" He repeated, scooting away and trying to make himself appear smaller.

"Good boy."

Chase, watching from his throne, made a mental note to _never_ wake up Ace before she was good and ready…

Well, unless Jack was nearby…


	8. Chapter 8

Glaring at her sketchbook (and the half-finished details of a sleeping tiger she was sketching), Ace tried to keep her hand from shaking.

After two weeks of being cooped up with nothing to do, she was getting the familiar urge to hit something and release the tension.

Even hurting Jack whenever he stopped by wasn't helping…

Closing the book with a snap, Ace huffed and pushed it aside, standing.

Stretching out her back, she sighed as the vertebrae popped into place and frowned.

"Is something bothering you?"

Her back muscles tensed, like coiling springs, but only for a moment; Ace was slowly getting used to Chase's sudden appearances.

Turning to face him, she felt the frown on her face lose some of its harshness.

"I can't take sitting around anymore. I'm used to fighting and running outside-I'll go insane staying in here!"

Chase believed her; with all of that pent-up energy, it was a surprise Ace had lasted two weeks.

"I have a solution."

Curious, Ace looked up from her intense study of the floor.

"And what would that be?"

"Follow me."

Having nothing better to do (besides punch a wall, but she wasn't keen on having a cast), Ace jogged to catch up with the departing warlord.

"Spicer warned me that you would become anxious without some stimulus."

"Not much of a surprise." Ace noted dryly.

"He's really not good at keeping secrets."

"I suppose not." Chase agreed.

"But he did give me a rather interesting idea."

Unsure if she would like this idea, Ace stared in surprise at the large room she was led to.

The walls were lined with every kind of weapon she could think of, with equipment pushed off to the side, leaving a clear area in the center.

Chase looked back at her, smirking.

"I will train you to control your powers, and to use them in battle."

"Really? Then why's Jack here?" She wondered, pulling her eyes from the room and back on Chase, jerking her thumb towards the sheepishly-waving albino.

"He made a bet with the monks that you would not last three minutes in a spar with me."

Lavender eyes narrowed, dark and determined, making the 'boy genius' hurriedly back up a few steps.

"We'll see about that."

Obviously insulted by the lack of faith in her skills (and stubbornness), Ace backed away from the everlord, taking a stance.

Chase had expected that sort of reaction; though she was confident in her abilities, Ace had a drive to make sure everyone else was fully aware of them as well.

Jack seemed excited, and a Jack-Bot lowered what looked like an old-fashioned announcer's microphone for the boy to use.

"In _this_ corner-the Everlord of Darkness, the Prince of Heylin, the Dragon of Evil, _Chase Young_! And in the _opposite_ corner-the Dragon of Lightning, the Irish beauty, the Terror of Downtown Chicago, _Ace Lyon_!"

"…_Shut up_, Jack."

"Shutting up." Jack squeaked, hiding behind his Jack-Bot at Ace's annoyed glare.

Turning her attention back to Chase, she raised an eyebrow in question.

"Are we going to spar or what?"

Smirking, Chase motioned for her to make the first move.

He wanted to see the extent of her training, and the best way to find it was to push her to the edge.

Taking the invitation, Ace swung her leg up in a high kick.

Catching her ankle to stop the blow from landing, Chase purposely ran his fingers up the back of her shin, feeling her jump and shudder at the sensual touch.

Frowning to hide how much she had liked it, Ace twisted her body enough to bring her other leg up in a kick.

Releasing her ankle, Chase ducked under the sweep, stepping back.

Landing on her hands, Ace spun to face him as her feet touched the ground, crouched and wary.

"Is this just another excuse to touch me?"

"More like a fantastic opportunity."

Rolling her eyes, she tried a sweep at his legs that Chase easily jumped over as Ace used the momentum to stand.

Striking back, Chase was impressed by her swift dodge and counterattack, stepping away to avoid a punch to the face.

This went on for some time, though the pace picked up as punches and kicks were deflected or avoided with blinding speed.

Jack was quick to return to his 'announcer duties', attempting to keep up with what was happening and cheering on whoever seemed to be winning.

Chase had to admit that she was an exceptional fighter; though there had been very little formal training, she had clearly learned well from her years of fighting on the streets.

One of her legs unexpectedly hooked behind his knee, pulling enough to send Chase toppling backward.

Ace straddled his hips and pinned his arms with the weight of her torso, breathing heavily as her loosened ponytail fell over one shoulder.

"How was that?"

Smirking, Chase easily switched their positions, holding her wrists with one hand and using the other to hold her hips down.

"Better than I expected, little Dragon."

Uncomfortably aware of their new position, Ace tried to keep her heart from fluttering around like a caged bird and turned her head away.

"Well, you can let me up now."

Noticing her unease, Chase settled himself against the pliant curves of Ace's body, half-wishing there was no armor or cloth in the way as he breathed into her ear.

"I don't think I will."

The closeness made heat blossom in her gut, and she started to struggle, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"Let me up, Chase!"

The movement of her hips as they tried to wriggle away from his own was erotically wonderful, and Chase growled, pressing his fangs into the soft skin of her throat.

Going still, Ace tried to control her breathing and ignore how her insides were tying themselves into burning knots.

"_Chase_…"

Jack, watching in surprise, covered the eyes of his Jack-Bot and his own, backing up towards the exit.

He got the feeling this was a _private_ moment…

Feeling the panicked pace of her heart, Chase forced down his instincts and released Ace's neck, admiring the red marks left on her pale skin.

Staring down at her, sweaty and panting and marked, made another aroused growl rumble from his chest like thunder.

Hands free now that Chase was using his own to support his weight, Ace pressed against his shoulders, frightened of her own feelings.

"Stop."

Pausing at the softness of her voice, Chase looked into her eyes and cursed himself.

He was pushing Ace too far; she would shut down if this went on any longer.

Pulling away, Chase sighed and stood, giving her room to sit up.

Wincing as the forming bruise on her neck was aggravated, Ace covered it with a hand as if to press the pain out.

Gently removing her hand, and feeling her tense, Chase whispered a spell that immediately numbed the area.

"You're not going to…?" Ace started, unsure and skittish now.

"I told you, Acacia-I do not take unwilling lovers."

Curling his fingers in her loose hair, Chase sighed.

"And though I want nothing more than to claim you, it is your choice."

Relaxing and pretending that she wasn't blushing, Ace looked off to the side.

"Flirt…"

Now that the panic was gone, Chase smirked, secretly relieved.

"I think you enjoy it."

Watching him walk away, Ace tried to convince herself (unsuccessfully) that he was wrong.


End file.
